Please insert any relevant information, pictures, links, etc. that you find dealing with Absolutism.


Jean- Baptiste Colbert
Jean- Baptiste Colbert
external image images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTxsyiCZ6VaKVrOuwecdJv4mP1yjPSIw4gJO9lKUIdsvFchEhdO6A
Winter Palace
Winter Palace



Duke of Sully
Duke of Sully
Escorial
Escorial


Versailles Palace
Versailles Palace






Terms: ID the following terms. Include any and all information that you feel is relevant to the term. If possible identify any other IDs your term is related to.



Absolutism- One ruler having complete control over every aspect of the kingdom they control including complete control over suspects lives. May involve manipulating nobility. Total absolutism not possible because kings do not have the ability to tax freely. Examples of Absolutists: King Louis XIV, Catherine the Great of Russia, and even Napoleon. Absolutism became justified by divine right, and can be seen in James 1 "true law of free monarchs"

Jean-Baptiste Colbert- First adviser to Louis XIV- made economic changes to benefit France. He believed that wealth and the economy of France should serve the state. He applied mercantilism to France. He supported old industries and created new ones focusing on textiles. He hoped to make Canada part of the French empire.

Balance of power- struggle in Europe for many years defined as no one ruler having to much power. if one group gained too much power, nobles would usually band together, eliminate the power, than the group would dissolve.

Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan- Hobbes was a philosopher that believed that human if left to themselves would compete violently for power and wealth. Leviathan published in 1651 outlined Hobbes belief. It was a social contract in which society was the body and the absolute monarchy was the head. The body (society) cannot function without the head (king).

War of the Leaque of Augsburg- 1689, William of Orange starts the war but original intentions are to check the power of Louis XIV. Includes Hapsburgs, Spain, Sweden, and 3/7 of Golden Bull (7 provinces that are supposed to select next Holy Roman Emperor). Neither the French nor the coalition armies won any decisive battles. Louis' unfair tax system in France was not stable enough to support his goals in the war.

War of Spanish Succession- Charles II, according to treaty, would split the Spanish territories between France and the Holy Roman Empire which made sense because they were all part of the Hapsburg family. He didn't comply, though, and instead said that it would go to someone else whom was directly related to Louis XIV's wife, which would also give Louis the potential to become a superpower.

Divine Right” of kings- Defined as a god given right to rule and implies making all jurisdictions as ruler without question as it is god working through the ruler. Most absolutist rulers claimed this to justify their right to the throne. If someone protested, they would say God gave them the right to do it.made the rulers assume great power, because they answered to noone but god, and characteristics can be seen in "true law of free monarchies" by James 1.

Treaty of Utrecht- was signed in 1713, said that France and Spain cant unite. Consequences: creates a balance of power, completes the decline of Spain, expands the British empire and ends french expansionist policy. Stopped Louis XVI from making a superpower by combining the population of france with the money of spain.

First Estate- Clergy. Wanted better pay, had tax exemptions, owned most of the land in France until the French Revolution. Consisted of about 1% of the population.

Second Estate- Nobility. Born to certain privileges (hunt, fish, tax) wanted to main tain position in society as well as politically. involved in politics.

Third Estate- Everyone else including peasants, and wealthy bankers, lawyers and business owners. Wanted economic power to equal political power. Peasants wanted rights of nobility to vanish. the third estate (primarily peasants) are the ones who continued the revolution when it began to die down.

Philip II- of Spain the son of the spanish king, he was set in charge of the spanish netherlands. unlike the rulers before him he was hated by the dutch and they overthrew him

Escorial- A monastery and palace in central Spain, built in the late 16th century by Philip the II.

“price revolution” refers to the relatively high rate of inflation that characterized the period from the first half of the 16th century to the first half of the 17th, across Western Europe, with prices on average rising perhaps sixfold over 150 years. THis was thought to be caused from the large influx of gold and silver from the spanish treasure fleet.



Henry IV- (Henry of Navarre/ Henry the Great) was a politique. Acquired a devastated France but promised "a chicken in every pot." He did recover the economy by lowering taxes and keeping France at peace for most of his reign. His rule laid the foundation of absolutism and Henry was murdured by a Catholic zealot.

Spanish Armada- the spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth 1 of England and putting an end to her involvement in the Sanish Netherlands and in privateering in the Atlantic and Pacific.
Bourbon dynasty- A string of French rulers, beginning with Henry IV (Henry of Navarre). Dynasty would exist for about 150 years.

Treaty of the Pyrenees, 1659- ended a war between French and Spanish. It was a peach treaty between Louis XIII and Philip IV.

Nobility of the sword- Nobles whose families had ruled for many generations. Rulers often controlled the military or were in positions of great strength. They were usually stripped of their jobs, and replaced by the nobility of the robe.

Baroque- Period of time in which elaborate paintings and tapestry were made. All art in this time period was made to evoke emotion and was not necessarily balanced. There was little to no classicism influence and art often featured those flying naked babies.


Nobility of the robe- The king created new nobles and so they owed all of their success to the king, so they essentially become "yes men" for the king. they were put on the royal councils to exclude the more powerful, older noble families.

Duke of Sully: He maintained the royal budgets and was a good record keeper for France because he reduced France's debt and added to the treasury. He introduced the Paulette, which was a tax on previously exempt people who had purchased titles. He utilized mercantilism and subsidized company for trade with the Indies but it didn't work out very well for him. Also, he implemented a form of a highway system.

Versailles Palace- Palace of the French royal, built for Louis XIV. Its upkeep costs required 60 percent of the royal budget, and its purpose to the king was to essentially keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Nobles were required to live here for at least part of the year, so the king could easily spy on his nobles. It was the first of the many palaces that other kings tried to create to become more absolutist. Also caused nobles to never try and undermine the king, because Louis would be informed if anyone was planning on doing that, and then would give incentives to the noble who informed him.


Cardinal Richelieu- In 1625, he became the president of council and in 1628 he became the first minister to the king. He builds absolutism's strength in France after the Duke of Sully/Henry IV. More power for the king meant more power for Richelieu, so his policy was based on total submission to the state or king, or divine right. His goals were to break down the power of nobility and to implement the 32 districts to govern each generality with its own royal intendant to maintain finances and laws. He also modified the Edict of Nantes as he thought the Calvinists were hiding behind their fortified cities.

Politique- someone who puts politics over religion. Examples include Elizabeth I and Henry of Navarre.


Winter Palace- The former Russian palace in St Petersburg. Was the home for the monarch leaders from 1732 to 1917. The revolution took over and now it is turned into gallery and museum. It was built under Peter the Great's rule. It was built after the palace at Versailles proving that that palace set an example for many other absolutist rulers.


Intendant system- An adminstrative offical serving a French, Spanish or Portugal monchary. Used to reform local and regional finiacial systems, judicial systems and policing the law. To cardinal Richelieu, the gained importance of this time period.
Dutch Style- Art style in 17th Century. One of the famous artists was Rembrandt. The prices of paintings dropped because the output increased. The style included but started to break away from broque art. Paintings usually had a moral subject behind it. Protraits were very popular, due to the fact that wealthy individuals continued to purchase art. Dutch art conveyed songs, proverbs and sayings that were important to the dutch.

Rembrandt-
Very popular Dutch artist. Known to be one of the first artist to paint self protraits, and in detail that he was painting/artist in his protraits. His paintings reflected him and his life struggles. Started to paint pictures of New Testament, no longer Old Testament. Worked alot in the Netherlands and had a great success as he was yonger. When he got older he dealt with losing his family and money issues. His art work reflected that. He went back to classical components of art, detailed iconography. Became famous at the time of the Golden Age of Dutch. Thought to be one of the best artist in European Art History. The Milwaukee Art Museum just held one of his most important protraits that can usually be found in the Kenwood house in England. rembrandt.jpg
Louis XIV, “sun king”- (5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre.[1] His reign of 72 years and 110 days is one of the longest in French and European history. He turned France from a war torn, food poor country into a great country. It was in his reign that absolutism in France reached its highest point. He had many policies such as requiring his nobles to live at his palace and cater to him. He also repressed Protestantism and made everybody Catholic. Louis also instituted reforms by checking the power of the nobility, as well as giving Cardinal Richelieu the job as finance minister to France that allowed him to pay for his expensive wars.

French Classicism- artistic movement during the reign of Louis XIV. This art was similar to Renaissance style of copying antiquity.

“L’etat,C’est moi”- French for "the state, that's me!" Menas that as the king, he rules all. Said by Louis XIV, proving his absolutism. He felt that he embodied the state in all he did.


Jean Racine- Wrote plays based on tragedy of Greek and Roman legends. He analyzed the power of love and like to focus on good vs evil.

Fronde- a series of violent uprising during the early reign of Louis XIV triggered by growing royal control and oppressive taxation. As a result Louis XIV flees Paris.


Moliere- .French author of comedies from 1622 to 1673. Educated at one of the finest schools. Louis xiv favored his comedies. Wrote these comedies even when thechurch told him not too. He was excommunicated. His most famous pieces are:
The School fo Husbands
The School for Wives
The Misanthrope
The Doctor in Spite of Himself



Cardinal Mazarin- Jules Mazarin was an Italian diplomat that took over after Richelieu in 1641. During this time, Anne of Austria, a Hapsburg, rules as regent for four-year-old Louis XIV.

Corvee- peasants who had to work/ perform services for the local lord. Was the earliest and most widespread form of taxation on peasants by the local lords.


mercantillism: a system of economic regulations aimed at increasing the power of the state based on the belief that a nation's international power was based on its wealth (one's wealth is equal to one's power). Jean-Baptiste Colbert applied mercantillist policies to France during the reign of Louis XIV. Also the belief of having your country being self sufficient and dependent on nobody.

bullionism:-Wealth of a nation is directly related to supply of gold and silver in that nation. It can also refer to as stockpiling as much gold or sliver as you can to make it look like your country is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Used by Spain when they had stockpiled all of their gold and silver from the New World.